A/N: Hi guys, another idea popped into my head. This was originally meant to be a one-shot, but I'm narrowing it down into two parts. Again, not very long, it was just an idea that popped to mind that didn't really have much construction at all, it's just something I'm putting together as I go. It could very well have a part three if all goes well and people enjoy it, but I'll see how it goes.

Enjoy, and please R&R, let me know if you see any spelling mistakes or such and I'll rectify them immediately.

~TheSmallishOne

Luminescent

By TheSmallishOne

Part One

-Luminescent-

She stared down at her trembling hands; once pure white gloves now stained and torn with soot and blood, her once vibrant pink fur singed and ripped, littered with angry cuts and bruises. She stood in a daze, unable to decipher what exactly had progressed to lead such destruction all around her, but the sound of her name being urgently called from the distance perked her ears.

A shaky breath left her dry lips, nose tickling as tears burned her leaf green eyes, her body turning in what seemed like slow motion to the figure dashing towards her, but another appeared, stepping into its place and murmuring a name she couldn't quite catch. Her heart thudded painfully, a scream on her lips, until she felt herself tilt sideways and vision encase itself in black.

-Luminescent-

Four years had passed since the incident, and since then she had not once seen hide nor hair of her old friends. Her last memories of that day were fuzzy at best; an enormous blast that destroyed the city and her home, the pain and numbness of the shock she felt, and her name being called almost desperately. But for reasons beyond her knowing, she couldn't see the face of the figure that stood before her. No matter how many times she tried, or even concentrated on the voice, a deep ache throbbed through her temple and eyes making her give up remembering completely.

A long sigh escaped her, fingers curling around the warm mug of tea she nested between her hands; the warmth seeping through her skin and calming her wayward thoughts and nerves, before taking a sip of the lightly sweetened drink. Her peacefulness was immediately interrupted by the knocking at her front door -a frown lining her young face as she set her tea down and made her way to the noise, apple green peering through the peephole she'd had fixed onto the door. Outside stood a hedgehog she'd come to know a great deal throughout the four years of being separated from the others, one that had been with her ever since she'd awoken in that overly sterile hospital room with a mild case of amnesia. She'd regained her memories a few days after, when the hospital discharged her for being well enough to leave, though the hedgehog refused to leave her side and even helped find her a new apartment to live in; furniture and all.

Realising her thoughts had taken root again, the pinkette pulled open the door and smiled easily at the black and red striped male standing on her doorstep - his ever present scowl in place that had her biting back a laugh. He'd questioned her once if she felt afraid of him due to his unkind face and blood red eyes, but she'd only laughed at him back then, too. He'd been nothing but kind and helpful since the incident, though there was always a nagging feeling at the back of her mind, like a memory wanting to surface but never could. She'd always pushed it to the side, excusing the feeling as him being similar, yet completely opposite at the same time to the hedgehog she admired and loved when she was younger.

"Hey Shadow, I just made some tea, would you like some?" Her voice was sweet as she stepped aside for him to enter her humble abode, his head bowing in thanks as he removed his complex looking shoes and stepped through to her living room.

"That would be… lovely, thank you, Amy." Again, she bit her lip to stop herself from snickering at his discomfort at using kindred words and instead pushed him through to the spotless kitchenette and plonking him on the other breakfast table's chairs.

"No need to keep being so formal with me, Shadow, we're friends aren't we? Remind me again though, how many sugars do you have in your tea?" As Amy Rose said this, she flicked the kettle back on and reached for another mug, depositing milk into it first before picking up the sugar pot.

"Two, please."

Nodding, the pink furry scooped two sugars into the mug and grabbed a tea bag to plonk in just as the kettle finished boiling, the steam curling through the air as she poured the hot water over the contained tea leaves. She hummed a little tune while it brewed, her spoon dunking the tea bag until it turned the perfect shade before tossing it in the bin and stirring the sugar inside.

"There, to perfection!" She placed the steaming mug in front of him and took her place once again, happy to find her own tea still quite hot as she cupped it in her hands once again. "So, you do consider me a friend, right? I hope it isn't just one-sided," She laughed, making light of it, though she did worry about his opinion. Surely they were, right? Why else would he keep being kind to her, visiting her even now?

The nagging feeling suddenly came back with more vigour than before, her brows knitting together at the strangeness; like fingers were gently tapping against the base of her skull, prodding a locked away memory. "You… remind… of..."

"Amy!" With a start the apple eyed hedgehog came back to the present, shocked to find Shadow's hand gripped onto her shoulders, as though he were shaking her from a trance. He sighed, seeing the focus back in her orbs and sat back in his seat with a slump, releasing her shoulders to rub at his temples. "Don't do that - scared me half to death…"

Lightly trembling, Amy placed a wet hand against her forehead as it gave one last dull throb, wide eyes looking down at the spilt mess of her tea covering the table and the hand still gripping her mug. "Um, sorry, what just happened…?"

Shadow watched her from his slumped position, worry and a slight hint of panic in his ruby eyes that she was oblivious to, and said nothing. He had an inkling, though he kept that to himself, and instead a heavy silence fell over them -both lost in their own wayward thoughts.

-Luminescent-

Two weeks had passed since then, and not once had Shadow appeared on her doorstep in his usual routine. It formed a pit of worry that gnawed at her stomach, as well as the sudden feeling of loneliness. She couldn't remember the last time she'd been truly alone, at least, not since the incident; but even then someone had been calling for her, so they'd been nearby.

It made her stop and think, like she often did when it came to her friends, if they were even still alive. She lived, now, only around twenty minutes away from her old apartment; surely, if they were still alive, they'd have found where she was by now? Did they want to find her?

Sensing her thoughts were taking a depressing route, she flicked on the TV and browsed through the channels until a snippet of the news had her backtracking to the news report.

"-idea on how this happened, but an eye witness stationed on patrol around the area deem seeing a silhouette vanish in a red light just before the explosion, as though they teleported away from the scene. A similar incident happened just four years ago in Metropolis city, where they're still, today, rebuilding the damage caused.

Currently there is no modern technology for such a thing as teleportation, so questions are spiralling out of control from both the government and the media-"

The TV flicked off abruptly, her heart racing in her chest at the scene; almost exactly the same as what happened four years ago. 'Is it the same person? Is there a connection? But why four years later, do it again? What the hell is going on?'

Her frantic thoughts that lead to far too many questions without answers for her liking, were giving pause as the front door knocked twice and she was sure of who it was before the third knock sounded. She darted up, rushing to the door and flinging it open to reveal the same obsidian hedgehog she'd opened it to many times before, only this time she felt an unsettlement wash over her at the subtle changes in his demeanour.

Without a word he stepped into her home and stood silently in the hallway, watching her intently as she shut the door with a shaky breath. He waited until she finally turned around, yet couldn't meet his blood red orbs that seemed now so sinister, and instead kept her lowered gaze on the ash dusting his shoes.

"I won't hurt you, Amy." His voice, though soft despite its rough edge, still caused her to flinch at the sudden break in silence, yet he brushed off the strange hollowness it ensued. "Never you. I would never… Please, understand, I'm doing this for a reason. You were never meant to be caught up-" He was cut off as she looked up, casting a tear filled glare at him.

"Tell me, tell me right now - was it you that destroyed Metropolis, my home, four years ago?"

He could do nothing but look at her, tracing every myriad of green in the hues of her eyes, the long lashes framing them, dotted with tears she stubbornly refused to shed; the way that even now, he could still see the damage caused as small lines of fur refused to grow back from the scars she obtained. The damage he'd caused.

His eyes shut minutely, a silent breath leaving him as he reopened them, hoping beyond hope they spoke of his guilt, his sorrow, but overall -her forgiveness.

"Four years ago… was not meant to happen." He took a breath, clenching his hands into fists at his sides, and chanced a look at her, noting her slumped shoulders and the tears falling freely. "That day… I'd been searching everywhere for you..." The shout he'd heard just before stepping into her line of sight, though he was sure now she hadn't realised it was him, made him remember how she'd often spoke of her friends and prayed they were alive. As much as he knew it'd hurt her, she had to know the truth -something even he did not know.

"I'm sorry Amy… I'm really… so sorry... I don't know what happened to your friends after the second blast…"

-Luminescent-

A/N: So, what do you think of Part One? Bit of a cliffhanger there, but Amy wasn't to know there was a second blast, considering she was unconscious at the time. But that leaves more questions, had Shadow immediately taken her to safety, or does he really know what happened, but keeping the truth from her?

Stay tuned for Part Two to find out!

Again, please R&R and let me know what you think :)

~TheSmallishOne